Florentino Torres High School or more commonly known as Torres High School, situated in Tondo, Manila, Philippines, is considered as one of the oldest public schools in Metro Manila.
Torres High School, founded by Mr. James T. Burns, began as an old, dilapidated building along Legarda Street in 1925. It was formerly named as Legarda High School. Its first enrollees were a group of students who were refused admission in the other 3 existing public high schools during that period. A year later, the school was transferred to the Syquia Building at the foot of the Pritil bridge along Juan Luna Street and was renamed Manila West High School. In March 1928, the School gave birth to its first batch of graduates. In the same year, various organizations and clubs were established.
In 1930, many changes took place among high schools in the City of Manila. The names of the schools were named after the first four Filipino jurists of the Philippine Supreme Court by virtue of the resolution of the Municipal Board. From Manila West, it came to be known as Torres High School, after Florentino Torres, one of the foremost Filipino justices. The first Filipino principal was appointed in the person of Mr. Marcelino Bautista.
It was in January 1937, under Mr. Ricardo Castro's administration, when the school formally occupied the Constabulary Barracks in Gagalangin where it is presently located. The school was closed in 1941, when World War II raged. Schools were converted into garrisons, and records were all destroyed.